Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, has proposed an adjustment to laws requiring farmworkers be paid overtime for hours beyond 40. Labor groups are against the bills because they feel it can take advantage of workers. However, various ag associations favor the bill because of farming's tight bottom lines.
February 18, 2025
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WA Ag overtime bill in full effect, despite calls for change
Legislators look to fine tune ag labor law to balance needs of farmers, farmworkers
OLYMPIA - Washington is now one of the first states to fully extend overtime pay to agricultural workers who work beyond 40 hours per week. The law, passed in 2021 after negotiations between labor advocates and agricultural producers, is now in full effect, sparking industry debate. “We compromised a lot,” said Edgar Franks, political director for farmworkers union Familias Unidas por la Justicia. “We thought we had a pretty good bill for both sides.”